The Lord’s Favor

Ramesh is from a rural village in Garhwal, located in the Himalayan region of north India. He is the oldest son in his family, and is forced to provide for his mother and siblings as his father is deceased. Ramesh was working in Maharashtra, Mumbai in a restaurant, and sending money home to support his mother and allow his siblings to attend school. Like many, Ramesh lost his job due to the Covid-19 lockdown in India. He was unable to pay his current rent, and needed to go home to help his family. He called home to find out that his family was struggling to find food to eat. Ramesh had no transportation or money, so was forced to make a 900+ mile trek on foot, walking from Mumbai to Garhwal. During his walk, Ramesh encountered hundreds of others who had lost their jobs and were also walking back to their families. He and other travelers were beaten by the police for walking in the roads during lockdown, and eventually forced to walk through jungles and forests to steer clear of police.

After multiple months, and hundreds of miles, Ramesh was fortunate to make it home to his family. Upon his arrival, he was overjoyed to find out that Christians had been helping his family survive. His family was able to eat, and survive when they were struggling to find their next meal. He was overcome with deep joy and thankfulness in this tough time, and this miracle brought Ramesh to accept Jesus. Now he is reading the Bible, and spreading the news of the good work that was done by the people of God.

This story is just one of the many stories that were made possible through the help of Pastor Edwin, and H.I.M. in the Himalayan region of North India. Pastor Edwin, a native of this region and also one of H.I.M.’s PALS, was called by the Lord to help those families who are without work and in serious need of food. He wanted to help these suffering families by providing them with a month’s worth of food. Pastor Edwin set a goal of feeding 50 families, but with the help of H.I.M., he and the church were able to make a far larger impact than he could have imagined. So far, 92 families have been blessed with one month’s worth of food and 20 orphan children have also been fed. Edwin and other pastors are also supplying packaged food and drink to those who are walking through the village back to their homes in other villages.

As a result of the help, many of these people have allowed Edwin to pray with them, profess the word of God, and have come to know the Lord as a result. Many of these people were faced with a lot of pressure, but now have been filled with encouragement and hope in Christ. We are extremely thankful for the ability to help so many families who are hurting during this pandemic. We ask for continued prayers and financial support to help with Covid-19 relief and feeding those in severe need. There are still countless people who are in need during this global pandemic, and as Edwin said himself: “Acts of kindness and extending a helping hand to those in need is crucial. No donation is too small, the thought of giving is what counts”.